


You and Me

by LilyInTheSnow



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Feels, Light Angst, M/M, On-Again/Off-Again Relationship, Romantic Soulmates, Sappy, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 03:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyInTheSnow/pseuds/LilyInTheSnow
Summary: Sometimes soulmates need a break. Sometimes that break lasts longer than it should.





	You and Me

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the super awesome SergeantFreezerburn here on AO3

“God, why did we ever stop this? Why'd we ever break up, Buck?”

“The constant fighting. Too much history between us.”

“It wasn't all bad was it?”

“No, sugar, it wasn't.” They'd had good times. Bad times. Some not so bad times, but in the end it seemed like the bad outweighed the good.

“Do you think-”

“Don't, Steve. Don't go down that road.”

“Why not? We were going to get married!”

“Steve, we’ve been married since kindergarten but we can't do this again. The on and off thing was hard enough when we were kids. We're too old for that now.”

“How many relationships have you had since we split up?”

He knows he shouldn't answer. Knows he can't expect Steve to have remained single the past three years like he has. But he knows it's true. “You already know.”

“Buck.”

“Drop it. We can't okay? I can't. I...I love you. I'll always love you more than anything, but we can't do this again.”

“There's never been anyone else. It was always you. It will always be you.”

“Stevie.”

“Me and you are meant for each other.” Steve lifted his hand, showed Bucky the twisting vine running across his skin and up his arm under his shirt sleeve. The normally fully bloomed flowers were wilted and browned. Just like Bucky's own.

“Doesn't mean it's gonna work out.”

“Fuck that. Me and you, Buck. To the end of the line. Like always. We promised.”

“Sometimes we have to break promises. Whether we want to or not.” Tears filled his eyes and he had to leave before his...before Steve noticed them. He'd glomp onto him in an effort to comfort and never turn him loose. Bucky wouldn't turn loose either. 

He pushed himself up from the table, leaned across it to brush his lips over Steve's. “I love you.” He pretended his lips didn't quiver, pretended he didn't feel Steve's do the same. “Bye, Stevie.”

He pretended he didn't see the tears, the hurt, the heartbreak, as he stood and walked away one more time.

***

Two years later

“You're coming with me to an art gallery tonight. There's a new artist Tony thinks is going to be big. He wants me to get a piece for him.”

Bucky nodded. He didn't want to go. The last time he'd been to a gallery was with Steve. “Sure, Pep.”

***

It was a terrible idea. Bucky knew as soon as he saw the painting. Knew it had been a mistake to go. The clasped hands, the vines and blooms twisting over their skin. Blended together. Blossoms pressed against each other. Riotous shades of crimson and pink. Standing out on pale skin and shading tan.

He knew those hands. Knew those vines and blossoms. He dragged his eyes away from the painting, gaze falling to where his hand was raised to touch the brush strokes.

“Hey, Buck.”

He clenched his teeth against the three words that wanted to escape. Closed his eyes against the tears that wanted to fall.

“I miss you.”

He wouldn't say it. Wouldn't turn around to see how much the past two years, past five really, had affected the blonde.

“You ain't even gonna look’it me?”

God that Brooklyn drawl.

He shook his head. He wouldn't. Couldn't. Not without breaking down. He was already fighting every cell in his body to stay where he was. To not look at the love of his life. To not turn around and promise forever and ever. 

His vines rippled on his skin. Fighting being so close to their match and not being able to touch. To drink in the feel of their mated, to feel their blooms brushing against each other. 

His hand dropped without his say so. Reached back toward Steve and the vines and blooms erupted, vibrant and alive, when Steve settled his hand in his, fingers settling between his and grasping tightly.

“You ain't gotta talk now if it's gonna break ya,” Steve murmured stepping up beside him. A peek out the corner of his eye let him know Steve was staring at the painting too. Carefully keeping his gaze away from him. 

“I'll talk for the both of us. I let you do enough of that the last time.”

Bucky couldn't even be mad about it. Steve was right.

“I love you, Buck. I'll never love anyone else. I tried. I tried lovin’ someone else. My...the vines...they wouldn't let ‘em touch me even. I had thorns. Scratched ‘em all up.”

Bucky nodded. He had too. He had tried to love Natasha. Had tried to love the fire she carried inside her. But it was cold, calculating. Nothing like the blazing inferno that lived in Steve. She'd been scratched too. Had understood. Hadn't pitied him or herself. Had left with a small parting smile and a wish for him to be well.

Maybe they hadn't tried hard enough. 

Maybe they hadn't really wanted to.

Maybe fate hadn't fucked up when it chose him and Steve for each other. 

Maybe he and Steve would work this time.

Maybe they wouldn't.

But they would try and maybe that's all fate wanted from them. Just to try.

He gripped Steve's hand tighter with a flutter of blooms accompanying the movement. “I love you.”

“To the end of the line?”

Bucky smiled with a quiet sniffle when he finally looked at his soulmate. “Yeah, sugar. To the end of the line.”   
  
  



End file.
